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Thompson Submachine Gun
The Thompson Submachine Gun is an American submachine gun popular during World War 2. It entered service in 1938 and was phased out in 1971. In 1945, it was being replaced by the Grease Gun. Usage by the Marines The Thompson Submachine Gun was one of the 20th Century's most legendary weapons. Marines used the "Tommy Gun" is various roles from the 1920s through the Korean War era. Its dependability and stopping power provided Marines an edge in the tough battles of the Pacific campaigns. Firearms designer and retired Soldier John T. Thompson began development of his automatic weapon during World War I. He called it the "trench broom" and designed it to use the .45 ACP cartridge. Thompson later changed the name of his weapon, coining the term, "submachine gun," for it. Mr. Thompson established the Auto-Ordnance Corporation in 1919 to assemble and market his gun. Marines first tested it at MCB Quantico in the Spring of 1920. The results were favorable, but the Thompson Submachine Gun was not adopted, mostly because the armed services couldn't afford to officially adopt any new weapons. Even though the Thompson was not type-classified, the Marine Corps still bought about 700 of the guns in the mid-1920s. These weapons were used in combat in Nicaragua, guarding the mail in the US and in China. The Thompson quickly became a popular weapon with Marines. The Thompson Submachine Gun was produced to a high standard of quality. It was a complex weapon that used the patented Blish Lock. The guns were made with a deeply blued finish and beautiful wood stocks. They could accept both stick and drum magazines and came with a variety of accessories. Auto-Ordnance produced two models of the Thompson prior to World War II- the M1921 and the M1928. The latter gun was modified in the early 1930s and became the M1928A1. Both guns were identical in their method of operation, using the delayed blowback principle. At the start of World War II, the Thompson was the only submachine gun in the US inventory. Demand skyrocketed and simplified methods of production had to be developed. In early 1942, the Thompson was completely redesigned. The new weapon was type-classified in April 1942 as the Submachine Gun, M1. Gone was the pre-war blued finish, replaced by the GI-issue parkerization. The newly redesigned Thompson would only accept stick magazines. The Blish Lock was retired after Auto-Ordnance found out it was unnecessary to the Thompson's operation. The M1 was still manufactured to a high standard of quality. It was further simplified as the Submachine, M1A1. As the war progressed, HQMC decided to replace all submachine guns with M1 carbines. This goal was never achieved, although the number of submachine guns in front line service decreased with each new Table of Organization. Thompsons were widely issued to the Raiders and Paramarines. For example, in the 2nd Raider Battalion, each fire team was equipped with a Tommy Gun. In line divisions, Thompsons were issued to various Marines, dependent on the Table of Organization. At various times in the war, rifle platoon sergeants and guides and mortar squad leaders were issued with these weapons. Marines either loved or hated the Thompson. Some valued its high volume of fire at close ranges. Other felt the gun was worthless because of its short effective range. Many Marines swore by the stopping power of the .45 ACP cartridge. Others felt the gun was much too heavy. The Thompson was a intelligently designed, reliable gun that served Marines well for many years. It was also an example of the best in American firearms design and production. It earned its place among the weapons of the World War II Gyrene. The gun has been used by many marines, mostly marines with the rank of sergeant or above, though some lower ranking marines with the rank of corporal and private first class also uses it too. Gallery 600px-Pac05_0223.jpg|Haney with his M1A1 Thompson in Peleliu 600px-Pac09_0027.jpg|Leyden with his slung M1A1 Thompson in Okinawa 600px-Pac04_1003.jpg|Leckie with his M1A1 Thompson while scouting in Cape Gloucester 600px-Pac1_005.jpg|Corrigan with a close-up view of his M1928A1 Thompson in Guadalacanal, Submachine_gun_M1928_Thompson.jpg|thompson submachine gun|link=Thompson Submachine Gun Notable Users Robert Leckie J.P Morgan Manuel Rodriguez John Basilone Andrew Haldane Merriel Shelton Elmo Haney Eugene Sledge Category:Weapons